Windivert Driver Cannot Be Installed You Must Restart Your Computer Top
Right-click the executable ( .exe ) file of the application you are trying to run. Select and navigate to the Compatibility tab. Check the box next to Run this program as an administrator . Click Apply and then OK . 3. Configure Antivirus and Windows Defender Exclusions
Because WinDivert intercepts network packets at a low level, security software often quarantines it. Open via your taskbar or start menu.
The error message explicitly says "you must restart your computer" —but often, restarting once is not enough. You need to clear the lock.
: WinDivert requires specific files to be in the application's home directory to install correctly on-demand. Ensure WinDivert.dll WinDivert.sys WinDivert.inf
To permanently resolve:
The full error message typically reads something like:
| Error Code | Description | Primary Fixes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | This driver has been blocked from loading | 1) Disable Driver Signature Enforcement 2) Turn off Core Isolation 3) Ensure you're using the correct architecture (32-bit vs 64-bit) | | 577 | Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file | 1) Run Windows Update 2) Disable Driver Signature Enforcement 3) Download the latest version of the driver from a trusted source | | 0x80041017 | This is a WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) error | 1) Run the script in the Microsoft Activation Scripts (MAS) tool | | Error Code: 2 | The system cannot find the file specified | 1) Clean registry uninstall 2) Full reinstallation of the driver | | 110 | Failed to open the Divert device | 1) Manually stop and start the service in an admin command prompt |
After reboot, select . Press 7 or F7 to "Disable driver signature enforcement." Try installing the driver again. 7. Check for Antivirus Interference
Windows Defender, aggressive antivirus programs, or anti-cheat engines flag WinDivert as a threat because packet interception looks like malware behavior. Right-click the executable (
WinDivert 是针对 x86 和 x64 架构开发的。如果在基于 ARM 架构的 Windows 设备（如搭载 M 系列芯片的 Mac 电脑安装 Windows 虚拟机）上运行，驱动将无法加载并触发错误。
To prevent this issue from happening in the future, always close packet-dependent applications cleanly rather than forcing them to terminate via Task Manager, which frequently leaves the driver floating natively in your system RAM.
: The .sys , .inf , and .dll files must all be in the same directory for the on-demand installation to work. The Resolution
WinDivert 依赖于 Windows 底层过滤平台（WFP）。如果系统中负责管理网络过滤的核心服务 Base Filtering Engine (BFE) 被禁用，依赖该平台的任何驱动都将无法正常工作。 Click Apply and then OK
Start with (registry pending flags). It is the single most effective fix for the specific wording “you must restart your computer” when you already have.
This error generally occurs because a previous version of the driver is stuck in a half-installed or corrupted state, or a security program is blocking its loading . Since WinDivert is "installed" on demand when an application calls it, it often requires administrative cleanup rather than just a standard reboot. Immediate Solutions
, the installation might fail because the modern WinDivert driver is signed with
Press Windows Key + S , type , right-click Command Prompt , and select Run as Administrator . Open via your taskbar or start menu
